Callen Daquiaog

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Paramedic - South Region

American Medical Response
Las Vegas, Nevada (MedicWest)

Callen Daquiaog is a hero and teacher among heroes. However, being the humble man that he is, he would never admit it. On October 1, 2017, he was one of many who responded to the Route 91 Festival shooting. He made life saving decisions in the face of danger. At the time, no one knew when the shooting would stop or where the shooter was. Multiple conflicting reports of different locations meant no scene was safe. Callen was responding to the east side of the venue, he came to Duke Ellington Way and faced the carnage head on. He assisted two off-duty EMTs from California, themselves shot, load victims in his unit. He made the decision, with a full ambulance, to head to the trauma center. His military upbringing told him that the situation was dangerous. He stayed calm and treated the critical patients in his ambulance. He dropped them off quickly, hoping he would see the two EMTs again.

He returned to his unit and went back towards the concert venue. He was sent to the command post where they staged for some time before being sent to a nearby smaller hospital where busloads of patients were being taken. He helped the ER triage and reprioritize transfers out, taking six victims to an outlying hospital. He is credited by physicians and nurses for his decisions that undoubtedly saved many lives. In his almost four years at MedicWest, he is known as the calm amidst the chaos. He can always be counted on to help out at events like the Route 91 Festival shooting or teaching a new EMT. He was honored by the agency that employs the two EMTs for his valor. He designed a patch for the event and donated the proceeds to the victim’s fund. A true hero.